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You know the logos, but did you know the stories behind some of the most iconic cartoon faces from America’s most popular networks?
While they may exist in the world of takeout, some of the most recognizable logos in the world are based on real people, some of whom are still alive today.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at all the iconic and recognizable logos you see on a daily basis.
The real Wendy, whose real name is Melinda (Wendy being her nickname), is the daughter of founder R. David Thomas.
The logo features an adorable little red-haired girl, with a few freckles and blue bows in her hair.
From Wendy
You know the fast food chain’s logo for her bright red hair and mischievous smile, but did you know the adorable cartoon girl is based on a real person?
The Wendy’s fast food chain was founded by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969.
Their logo features an adorable little red-haired girl, with a few freckles and blue bows in her hair.
The real-life Wendy, whose real name is Melinda (Wendy being her nickname), is the daughter of the founder.
At the age of eight, Wendy was chosen by her father as the face of the chain, posing in a red and white dress to be immortalized as the emblem of the fast food restaurant.
In one piece for People In 1990, Wendy recalled beating out her two older sisters, Pam and Molly, and her brother, Kenny, for the honor of being the mascot.
In a 2019 blog post, Wendy said she still loves being the face of the famous fast food chain, even after all these years.
‘I will always love this brand, but not because my name is on the buildings,’ Wendy wrote in a post. published on the website.
“I love our products. I love our burgers. I love everything. Why wouldn’t I? It’s our business. Our family business.”
Harland Sanders was born in 1890 and raised on a farm in Indiana, he began selling fried chicken from his restaurant in 1930.
The KFC logo features Colonel Harland David Sanders, the founder of the chain.
KFC
KFC’s iconic logo was conceived in 1952, using a portrait of Colonel Harland David Sanders, the chain’s founder.
Harland Sanders was born in 1890 and raised on a farm in Indiana, he began selling fried chicken at his restaurant in 1930.
According to Business InsiderSanders was given the title of colonel in 1950 by the governor of Kentucky and began dressing in a white suit and growing a goatee, making him a perfect, recognizable mascot and logo.
The current iconic logo features a black outline of the Colonel, complete with glasses, a goatee, and a bow tie, with red stripes on either side.
The restaurant’s famous founder remained the face of the fast food chain even after selling the company in 1964.
Debbie (pictured) is the daughter of brand founder OD McKee and his wife Ruth, who founded McKee Foods in 1934.
The adorable logo features a rosy-cheeked young girl with curly brown hair that rests just above her shoulders and a straw hat and light blue dress.
Little Debbie
Little Debbie, the tiny cupcake brand that originated in the South, features a logo of an adorable little girl, which is based on a real person.
The design shows a young girl with rosy cheeks and curly brown hair that rests just above her shoulders, wearing a straw hat and a light blue dress.
The adorable cartoon is a almost identical to the portrait of the real Debbie McKee-Fowler, who was four years old when she was photographed.
The daughter of brand founder OD McKee and his wife, Ruth, who founded McKee Foods in 1934.
Debbie McKee-Fowler remains in the business today and currently serves as Executive Vice President and on the Board of Directors of McKee Foods.
According to the Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s mascot is based on television host Willard Scott.
Ronald McDonald has since become the most recognizable clown in existence.
Ronald McDonald
He is the most recognizable clown out there and Ronald McDonald is based on a real person.
Although it may seem too unreal to be true, the mascot was actually based on a clown from Washington, DC.
According to the Wall Street JournalThe McDonald’s mascot is based on television host Willard Scott.
Scott, who was a television host and announcer in DC, played a character called Bozo the Clown from 1959 to 1962.
McDonald’s advertising executives contacted Scott, who worked as a clown for several years.
But they ended up discarding him as the famous clown in 1966 when they decided to introduce other Ronald McDonald’s and make the clown a national figure, noting that it would be difficult to find people in every market with the same large build.
The real chef, Hector Boiardee, was born in 1897 in Piacenza, Italy, and emigrated to New York City, where he began working in restaurants.
Chef Boyardee is a beloved brand of Italian canned pasta products, and the cartoon chef is based on a real person.
Chef Boyardee
Chef Boyardee is a beloved brand of Italian canned pasta products, and the cartoon chef himself is based on a real person.
The logo features a smiling chef dressed in white with a mermaid-red scarf. One notable difference between the modern logo and the real chef is Chef Hector’s dark mustache.
Hector Boiardee was an Italian chef born in 1897 in Piacenza, Italy, and emigrated to New York City and began working in restaurants.
He eventually rose to become head chef at the famous Plaza Hotel and later opened his own restaurant, Il Giardino d’Italia, in Cleveland in 1924.
He founded the Chef Boyardee Company with his brothers Mario and Paul in 1928.
They made the decision to spell the name phonetically so that Americans could pronounce it.
Lorraine Collett Petersen was 17 when she became immortalized in the logo after being asked to hold a basket and pose for a watercolor painting in 1910.
Sun-Maid is known for its raisins and dried fruits, and its logo, which features a smiling woman in a bright red bonnet, is based on a real girl.
Maiden of the Sun
Sun-Maid is known for its raisins and dried fruits, and its logo, which features a smiling woman in a bright red bonnet, is based on a real girl.
Lorraine Collett Petersen was 17 when she became immortalized in the logo, after being asked to hold a basket and pose for a watercolor painting in 1910.
The Missouri native was working as a planter, packer and promoter for a Sun-Maid subsidiary in Fresno, California, at the time.
